Advertising-machine.



v. L. HELM. ADVERTISING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV.15 1909.

989,969.- Patented. Apr. 18, 191.1.

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ADVERTISING MACHINE. APPLICATION rmzn NOV.15, 1909.

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v. L. HELM. ADVERTISING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1909.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

VIRGIL L. HELD/I, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO J. H. REGAL, OF FORTWORTH, TEXAS.

ADVERTISING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911.

Application filed. November 15, 1909. Serial No. 528,232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VIRGIL L. HELM, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, in the county ofTarrant and State of Texas, have invented a new and ImprovedAdvertisingJVlachine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to advertising machines, and more particularly tomachines which display cards or plates containing advertising matter,either printed or pictorial, and the object is to provide a machinewhich will automatically display advertising cards or plates forpredetermined periods of time and that will continue displaying a seriesof cards automatically until the motor power stops.

Other objects and advantages will, be fully explained in the followingdescription, and the invention will be more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisapplication and specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal or plan view below theline Ia-00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 41 is a plan view of one of the liftingslides and the mechanism for lifting the slide. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe vertically disposed drum which carries the advertising plates orcards. Fig. 6 is a broken, inverted view of the advertising drum,showing the series of holes or perforations in the rim for regulatingthe time during which the plates are held exposed in View. Fig. 7 is adetail view of the card or plate lifting slide, being a side elevation,and also a broken edge view. Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly in section,of the lifting slide and the mechanism for lifting the slide and alsofor lowering the slide. Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of one of thesprocket chains, which carries the lifting trips. Fig. 10 is a detailview, being a horizontal section of a guide box for one of the sprocketchains, showing also the releasing mechanism which permits the platecarrying drum to rotate on its axis. Fig. 11 is an end View of therocker-shaft by which the tripping rod is drawn from the said drum. Fig.12 is a detail view, showing the manner of mounting the coil spring fordriving the plate carrying drum. Fig. 13 is a detail view, illustratingthe manner of elevating the lifting slides.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same partsthroughout the several views.

This machine is provided with an upright frame composed of posts 1 whichare connected by suitable cross beams 2, 3 and 4. A center bearing beam5 is attached to the cross beams3. A. rotating drum 6 is provided with aspindle 7 which has a socket in the bearing beam 5 and in the framepiece 8 at the top. The drum has grooved upright bars 0 attached to theinside of the rim and the drum has a central cylindrical portion 10 inwhich there are vertical grooves corresponding to the vertical groovesin the uprights 9. There may be any number of these grooves and acorresponding number of the grooved uprights 9. The advertising platesor cards 1] are vertically disposed in the two sets of grooves abovementioned. The drum is driven by a spiral spring 12 which is attached tothe spindle 7 of the drum and to a frame piece 68. This spring issimilar to the main spring of a watch or clock and is wound up wheneverthe drum has rotated sufliciently to release all the tension of thespring. This spring drives the drum. This drum moves periodically andthe moving of the drum is determined by a series of holes 13 in thebottom of the rim or cylinder 6 and a spring actuated rod 14. A spring15 is attached to a frame piece 16 and to the rod 14: by means of acollar 17 thereon. The tendency of the spring 15 is to hold the rod inone of the perforations 13 in the bottom rim of the drum. Means areprovided for withdrawing the rod 14 from the perforations 13periodically. Such means will be fully explained hereinafter.

. pulley 21.

The machine is provided with a motor 18 which may be supplied with powerfrom any suitable source by wires 19 which lead to a supply source ofelectricity. The motor 18 drives a shaft 20 which shaft 20 drives a Thepulley 21 drives a larger pulley 22 by means of a belt 23. The pulley 22drives a small pulley 24 and the pulley 24 drives a large pulley 25 bymeans of a be t 26. The pulley 25 drives a small pulley 27 and thepulley 27 drives a small pulley 28 by means of a belt 29. The pulley 28drives a shaft 30. The shaft 30 drives a sprocket wheel 31 and thissprocket wheel 31 drives sprocket chain 32. This sprocket chain 32drives a sprocket wheel 34 on shaft 33 at the other side of the machine.The power is thus transmitted from one side of the machine by the motor18 and the series of pulleys above described to the other side of themachine and then transferred back to the initial side by the sprocketchain 32. The object of the motor and the series of pulleys and thesprocket chain 32 is to drive the shafts 30 and constantly. Sprocketwheels 35 and 36 are mounted on the shaft 33 and sprocket chains 37 and38 are driven by the sprocket wheels 35 and 36 respectively. Sprocketchains 39 and 40 are driven by the shaft 30. The machine is providedwith lifting slides 41 and 42, which are moved vertically and held invertical alinement by guides 69. The chains 39 and 40 are provided withpivoted lifting trips 43. Upright frames composed of posts 44 and 45 aremounted vertically in the machine and sprocket wheels 46 and 47 arejournaled in uprights 44 and sprocket wheels 48 and 49 are journaled inthe upright 45. The chain 40 runs over the sprocket wheels 46 and 47(which wheels are mere idlers or guide sprockets) and the portion of thechain 40 between the uprights 44 and is moving upwardly. The chain 38runs over idle sprocket wheels 48 and 49 and the portion of the chain 38between the uprights 44 and 45 is moving downwardly. The portion ofchain 40 between the uprights 44 and 45 runs against the upright 44 sothat the pivoted trips 43 are held in ver tical alinement with theupright 44, and thus the trips 43 provide lifting devices for the slide41. As the trips 43 pass from under the sprocket wheel 47 they engagethe slide 41 in the notch or groove 50 at the lower edge of the slideand thus force the slide upward. This carries the slide on up to the topof the upright 44 and as soon as the lower ends of the trips 43 passabove the shoulder 52 of the upright 44 the pivoted trips 43 will tiltand thus release the slide 41. At the same time, as soon as the trips 43release the slides 41 spring bolts 53 drop in the perforations 54 in theslides. These spring bolts are mounted in boxes 55 which are attached tothe tops of uprights 44.

A spring 56 forces the bolt 53 in the perforations 54 0f the slide. Thiswill hold the slide upward or elevated until the bolts 53 are shoved outof the perforations 54. The other sprocket chain 38 has a projecting lug57 which is timed to release the slide 41 from the bolt 53. As the chain38 passes over the sprocket wheel 48 the lug 57 will shove the bolt 53out of the slide 41 and thus allow the slide to descend. The slide woulddescend by gravity, but the lug 57 will insure a positive descent of theslide 41. The descending portion of the chain 38 moves against a block58, but the chain will yield or bend after passing the lower end of theblock 58 and thus allow the lug 57 to be withdrawn from the perforation54 of the slide 51. Thus a positive lift is provided for the slide 41and a positive means for lowering the slide 41 is provided. chains willthus alternately raise the slide The two 41 and lower the same atregular intervals. 7

These slides 41 have lug 59 at their upper ends which engage the plates11.

Attention is called to the fact that slides 41 and 42 are mounted onopposite sides of the machine so that two plates 11 will be raised atthe same time, thus providing two displays at the same time. The drum 6would turn continually until the motor spring had expended its tension,but means are provided for checking the rotation of the drum long enoughfor the display of two slides. This is accomplished by the rod 14. Meansare provided for withdrawing the rod 14 from the perforations 13 in thebottom part of the drum periodically. The sprocket chain 40 has alaterally projecting lug 60. This chain 40 runs through a guide box 61so that the chain must run at certain position as it goes through thebox 61. A rocker-shaft 63 has a lug 64 which projects loosely throughthe lower end of the rod 14, and this rocker-shaft 63 has anotherprojecting lug 65 which normally stands vertically disposed. Thisrocker-shaft 63 is journaled close to the box 61 and the lug 65 projectsupwardly through the bottom of the box, the box having a slot thereinfor the operation of this lug 65. As the chain 40 moves along the lug 60will strike the lug 65 of the rocker-shaft and turn the sameapproximately forty-five degrees. This turning of the rocker-shaft 63will draw the same downwardly and thus release the drum 6 so that thedrum will turn, but the lug 60 will immediately release the lug 65;consequently the spring 15 will draw the rod 14 up against the bottom ofthe drum 6 so that the rod 14 Will engage the next perforation 13 thatmoves around to the rod 14.

' The display cards are thus exposed to view systematically and inseries.

In order to attract attention two clownish or comic figures representingtwo men are arranged on the top of the machine with their handsprojecting in the paths of the display cards. As the display cards areforced up-- wardly they engage the hands of these comic figures andshove the comic figures to up right positions. As soon as the displaycards or plates start downward the comic figures fall by gravity withthe descent of the cards or display plates, and thus the ma chine hasthe appearance of two comic figures reaching down and drawing up thedisplay cards or plates and shoving them back down into the drum. Themachine may be decorated in any suitable manner with electric lights 66or with any other suitable decorating means. The operating mechanism andthe drum 6 may be entirely concealed from view by side casings 67 sothat nothing but the display cards will be noticed in the operation ofthe machine.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. An advertising machine having a vcrtically disposed rotating drum,display cards loosely mounted therein, means for rotating said drum,means operating through an end of the drum at opposite sides thereof forlifting said cards vertically through the opposite end of said drum, andmeans for checking the rotation of said drum temporarily while saidcards are being elevated.

2. An advertising machine having a vertically disposed rotating drumprovided with vertical ways therein, display cards loosely mountedtherein, means for simultaneously elevating and lowering cards onopposite sides of said drum periodically, and'means for checking therotation of said drum while said cards are being elevated and lowered.

3An advertising machine having a vertically disposed rotating drumprovided with vertical ways therein, display cards mounted looselytherein, slides below opposite sides of said drum for engaging two ofsaid cards at a time to raise the same periodically, means for elevatingand lowering said slides, and means for checking the rotation of saiddrum while said slides are being elevated and lowered.

4. An advertising machine having a rotating drum provided withperforations in the lower end thereof, display cards mounted loosely insaid drum, means for elevating and lowering said cards, aspring-actuated rod adapted to engage one of said perforations at a timefor checking the rotation of carrying trips for lifting said slides,driven 7O sprocket chains carrying lugs for lowering said slides, andmeans for checking the rotation' of said drum temporarily andperiodically.

6. An advertising machine having a vertically disposed rotating drum,display cards mounted loosely in said drum, slides operatingthroughopposite sides of said drum for elevating one or more of said cards,driven sprocket chains carrying trips to lift said slides, means forguiding said trips while lifting said cards, driven sprocket chainscarrying lugs to lower said slides, and means for checking the rotationof said drum temporarily and periodically.

7. An advertising machine having a rotating drum, display cards mountedloosely in said drum, said drum having perforations in the lower endthereof, means for elevating and lowering said cards, a spring-actuatedrod adapted to engage one of the perforations in said drum at a time tocheck the rotation thereof temporarily, and a driven sprocket chaincarrying a lug for withdrawing said rod from said perforation.

8. An advertising machine having a rotating drum, display cards mountedloosely therein, slides for elevating one or more of said cards, meansfor elevating said slides, means for locking said slides elevated, andmeans for unlocking said slides and lowering the same.

9. An advertising machine having a rotating drum, display cards mountedloosely therein, slides for elevating one or more of said cards, drivensprocket chains carrying trips for lifting said slides, spring-actuatedbolts for locking said slides elevated, and driven sprocket chainscarrying lugs adapted to unlock said slides and lower the same.

10. An advertising machine having a 1'0- tating drum, display cardsmounted loosely therein, slides for elevating one or more of said cards,driven sprocket chains carrying trips for elevating said slides, meansfor locking said slides elevated, driven sprocket chains carrying lugsadapted to unlock said slides and lower the same, a motor, and gearingoperatively connected with said motor and said chains for driving saidchains.

11. An advertising machine having a rotating drum, display cardsmountedloosely therein, means for elevating and lowering said cards,said drum having a series of perforations in the lower end thereof, aspring-actuated rod adapted to enter one of said perforations at a timeto check the i'ota- In testimony whereof, I set my hand in tion of saiddrum temporarily and period the presence of two Witnesses, this 29th day10 ically a driven sprocket chain carrying a of October 1909.

lug for Withdrawing said rod from the perforation periodically, and aguide holding VIRGIL said sprocket chain in position While saidlVitnesses:

lug is Withdrawing said rod from said per- A. L. JACKSON,

foration. MAX WEssEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

